What to eat during labor?

[faith4u]

Since I am going to be using a birthing center I am actually able to eat and drink during labor. So I have been wanting to plan out what to take.

Any ideas of what you think would be best during and then after labor?

Thanks!

[Ginger]

I wouldn't want to eat much if my body was getting ready to do the work of birthing. If it where me i'd prolly just be drinking breen smoothies and snacking on fruits, berries & superfoods.

[rawmonkey]

The only thing I can remember when delivering my fourth was the incredible craving for oranges during and after delivery. I would suggest slicing them into wedges for easy eating :). Also, when I was in the hospital I was appalled at the lack of nutritional foods they served. Everything was highly processed and full of chemicals; NOTHING was fresh let alone raw, so I ended up eating only what I brought with me and what my loving husband supplied me with later.

I hope the birthing center has better understanding of what a nursing mother needs. With this in mind, I would definitely bring nuts (for me it was soaked/dehydrated walnuts that really hit the spot), fresh fruit and cut veggies and other things that you enjoy eating now. You may not touch anything before the delivery; but if you deliver late at night and the kitchen is closed after the birth, what you bring may be the only thing you have to eat. The morning after birth I really appreciated the fresh almond milk and raw granola along with fresh fruit that my husband brought with him. A huge salad topped with lots of veggies and pumpkin and sunflower seeds was wonderful at lunch.

All the best for your and your little one :)

Congrats!

Christina

[jules88]

I ate raisins. I delivered at a hospital, and the previous post was right on. There was no "good food". Everything processed to death, pasty, bland and very boring looking and taste horrible. Well actuallly it had no taste. There was one salad that I requested, but it was all iceberg lettuce. Nothing fresh. I lived on water and a container of raisins. I would say to bring some fresh fruit and the makings of a great salad and nuts too. Perhaps some brownie balls as we call them, that way you can just pop them in your mouth. brownie balls are just the raw brownies, some rolled in coconut and some not. You can freeze them too and they taste great at room temp or from the freezer. Good Luck and hope you have a blessed birth

[faith4u]

Yes, this will be my first out of hospital birth. I, too, could not get anything to eat there and always took food.

I have never eaten or even drank anything during birth before. Midwives are different and encourage you to if you feel like it.

I just want to be prepared just in case but I can't imagine that I would want much.

There is a kitchen there that is part of the birthing suite. You bring your own food and use the kitchen freely.

rawmonkey that is funny, I also craved orange juice after my last two births. This time I might take my citrus juicer and bring oranges but it will be in June and I am not sure how good the oranges will be then so it may not be a good idea.

I think I will stick to what my body is used to....green smoothies and fruit if I want anything during labor. Then afterwards it helps if I have something a little more dense like date/nut balls along with lots of fresh juice and fruit.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

[momma-rawma]

I would have some type of "feast" for yourself afterwards.

But during my labor in March....I had no desire for ice chips let alone food. :)

[lily]

It's a while ago since I had my last baby, but I agree with the others: there's no way I would have wanted to eat during labour -- but your favourite raw treats for afterwards would be good to have.

[bluejaunte]

Coconut water is what helped me recover from an intense natural birth last month. Helped tremendously. :)

[OneBite@aTime]

I just wanted to jump on here and say good luck-and what a great start you are giving your baby!

[trinity082482]

Many women eat during labor. I however could not. I snuck in a snack when the nurse warned me I was not allowed to and I ended up puking my guts when the contractions got unbearable. :)

[Raw Angel Mom]

First, i want to wish you the best delivery ever and a healthy little baby.

Personally, i didn't feel to eat or drink anything. I am glad that i didn't, my body used the energy to focus on my baby instead of digesting. Maybe woman who eats, it helps them to relax not sure but i can promise you that i wasn't hungry at all. It is important to follow our body's guidance, if you feel hungry or thirsty then, then just do so, if not, then i wouldn't eat or drink. If you want to bring something, i would go with fruits. I am not sure if this is your first baby but if this is, please know that it takes a little while before the milk come. Drink a lot of water after birth and it will help to make the milk. Make sure that your husband bring some nice fresh food for you and just follow your body's craving afterward.

[rainbowgirl]

But with my first, I was supposed to stay for 6 hrs after......and I got RAVENOUS!

sO maybe a raw feast for after???????? like pizza, chocolate pudding, calzones, raw soups, dips and veggies, raw cake?

But during, I had a lot of raw honey for energy, and juice. Didn't feel like food. But my labors are quick.

I also HAD TONS Of OJ, in my last labor, loved it. (15 cups worth lol).

Make sure you stock up on oranges.

RaWnbowgirl

[coco]

oh, ugh. eat during labour? not on your life! i barfed up what little was already in me both times. in my experience the body is busy, it wants some focus on only that activity without having to attend to digestion as well. i couldn't even keep fresh juice down. only water and not even that much of that! i wasn't even hungry afterwards, not until much later on.

go with your own flow here, have some things you like around but i would keep it light.

[Suz58]

For my last birth, once I was in labour I blended raspberry leaves and stinging nettles in water which I then strained to drink during and after labour. I had been doing that during pregnancy too. Raspberry leaf helps tone the uterus, nettles are full of iron and an antihaemoragic too.
I then drank placenta smoothies in the days that followed. I cut the placenta into 1 inch cubes and froze them. I then blended one cube with half a banana untill I ran out.